1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to sealed plastic bags of the type used to hold loose articles, such as food, and more particularly to a tool which provides selective cutting open and subsequent clipping closed the opening in the bag.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Sealed bags for loose articles, such as for example snack foods and breakfast cereals, are marketed in the form of a bag which has an upper seal, and is typically constructed of plastic (sometimes cereal boxes have therewithin sealed bags composed of wax paper). In the case of plastic bags, the plastic is quite strong and the seam is in the nature of a strong weld which provides a hermetic seal for the contents. The manufacturer expects the user to be able to open the sealed bag by either tearing the seam, cutting the seam with a knife or scissors, or by brute force peeling it apart at the seam. Peeling apart the seam is difficult for an able-bodied person, but it is quite frustrating for children and disabled persons. And, once the bag has been opened, frequently the entire contents are not dispensed at the time of opening, introducing a sealing problem because the seam is not self re-sealing. Also, the use of tamper-proof sealed bags has become increasingly prevalent, with even more difficulty being associated with opening them.
In the art, it has become now ubiquitous to utilize a spring-loaded bag clip (or bag clamp), as described for example by U.S. Pat. No. 4,294,791. One example of a prior art bag clip is shown at FIG. 1. The bag clip 10 has a pair of elongated jaws 12, 14 which are pivotably connected at a rocking pivot 16 and biased closed by action of a spring 18. A handle 20 is connected to each of the jaws and allows a user to manipulate the bag clip 10. In operation, the jaws are opened, placed along the open seam and then clamped thereupon to reseal the bag. The jaws preferably terminate in a frictional surface, such as soft plastic tubes (which is a costly design/construction), or terminate in a rows of interengaging serrations. A second example of a prior art bag clip is shown at FIG. 2. The bag clip 22 has a first wing 24 and a second wing 26, each terminating at one end in a jaw 28, 30, respectively, and at the other end in a handle 32. A living hinge 34 provides a pivot, and a spring 36 provides a clamping action at the jaws. Operation is similar to the first example.
Specialized devices to cut open sealed packages are known. For example, FIG. 3 shows a prior art envelope opening device 38. The opening device 38 has a main body 40 having a slot 42 into which is resident a blade 44. The blade is at an acute angle relative to the slot so that any thin planar, fibrous paper-type material entering the slot will encounter the blade at a cut facilitating incidence. The slot is defined at one side by a piercing member 46. A tongue 48 may be present. In operation, the piercing member is used to enter into the space between the envelope proper and its sealed flap. As the fold between the flap and the envelope proper passes into the slot, the blade cuts open the envelope. This device does not, however, work well to cut open plastic bags because the blade is not well positioned relative to the slot for this purpose. Another prior art opener is depicted at FIGS. 4A and 4B. The opener 50 has a body 52 which integrates a head 54 with a handle (or stem) 56. The body 52 is in the form of an upper planar part 58 and a lower planar part 60. The head has a slot 62 which is formed at each of the upper and lower planar parts. A blade 64 is carried by the lower planar part and is seated so as to be at an acute angle relative to the slot for the cutting advantage mentioned hereinabove. With the blade seated, the upper and lower planar parts are connected to each other. Operation to open a plastic bag involves holding the handle and placing a portion of the bag into the slot so that the blade cuts it. This device does not work well to cut through paper, but does work well to cut through a plastic bag because the blade cutting edge is positioned relative to the slot for this purpose.
What remains needed in the art is a tool which provides a user with an ability to both easily open a sealed bag and further to reseal the bag after it has been opened.
The present invention is a tool which has a combined synergistic function for users of sealed plastic bags in order to open and reseal them.
The cutting and clipping tool according to the present invention is composed of a clipping tool integrated with a cutting tool. The clipping tool includes a pair of jaws which are pivotably connected and springably biased into a closed position. When at the closed position, the jaws provide a clamping force sufficient to hold closed an opening in a bag (rolled or unrolled). The clipping tool has a handle for providing ease of use and may have any of a variety of jaw interfaces, including those conventionally known in the art, and further including off-set configurations which provide a superior S-curve closure to the bag opening than a conventional nose-to-nose closure. The cutting tool is of a generally conventional design (FIGS. 4A, 4B), having a head and a stem connected thereto. The head has a slot having a base whereat a blade is resident, the cutting edge of which being at an inclined angle relative to the slot which is positioned for cutting plastic sheet, forcing a plastic bag to be cut (without bunching-up) as it is passed into the slot.
The cutting tool is attached to the clipping tool so that the slot at the head of the cutting tool is unobstructed by any of the structure of the clipping tool, and further so that the clamping function of the jaws is unobstructed by any of the structure of the cutting tool. The cutting tool is preferably attached to the clipping tool on a jaw or on a handle via a seat receiving the stem; alternatively, the stem may be glued to the clipping tool in absence of the seat.
In operation, a user grasps the cutting and clipping tool and grips the sealed bag to be opened. Then, the user directs an edge of the bag (preferably the top seam) into the slot and causes the blade to cut open the bag. The user then selectively dispenses contents of the bag. To reseal the bag, the user preferably rolls the cut edge once or several times, then grasps the cutting and clipping tool so as to place the jaws over the (preferably rolled-up) cut edge, whereupon the jaws clamp closed the opening in the bag.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a combined cutting and clipping tool for the purposes of cutting open sealed bags and thereafter clipping closed the opening.
This, and additional objects, advantages, features and benefits of the present invention will become apparent from the following specification.